The Harry Potter author’s first foray into fiction for adults was published in September. But judges at the magazine deemed its sins “venal” compared to those of other competitors.

The award sets out to recognise “the most egregious passage of sexual description” in a new novel.

In the year that has seen “mummy porn” take over the best-seller lists as EJ James’ Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon spawns copycat publications from Sylvia Day’s Crossfire trilogy to further Twilight fan fiction, the Bad Sex award is as prescient as ever - but the prize does not cover "pornographic or expressly erotic literature".

Leading this year’s nominees is Bad Sex 2004’s winner Tom Wolfe for Back to Blood.

The shortlist also includes The Yips by Nicola Barker, The Adventuress by Nicholas Coleridge, Infrared by Nancy Huston, Rare Earth by Paul Mason, Noughties by Ben Masters, The Quiddity of Will Self by Sam Mills and The Divine Comedy by Craig Raine.